Arlete at EYST- Youth Team

A bit about me:

My names Arlete, I’m Portuguese and live in Wrexham. I’ve lived here for around 3 years now. I study level 6 youth work in university.

How I got involved with EYST youth work:

I got involved with EYST through university. My lecturer introduced me to Lee and told me all about youth work and what it is. Me and Lee started talking and it felt like we knew each other for a while. We spoke about EYST and I asked if I could go on placement. I actually applied twice but the first time I wasn’t successful, which was okay as I didn’t feel ready.

What’s been my favourite thing so far?

My favourite things so far have been the wide range of diversity. When I come into a room or even on zoom, there are so many cultures and different backgrounds. I also enjoy that we have fun. Being able to disconnect from the outside and trying to connect in a positive way, makes me pumped. It’s a melting point of culture. I love the way it brings everyone together. I have a young person who attends and he’s non-verbal, but slowly with the support he’s interacting more with me and others. It's amazing to see.

What EYST youth work has changed for me since taking part:

I wasn’t aware of EYST before this placement, but it’s helped me make sense of a lot of things, like British culture and how we act and behave. By being apart of the youth work and working with the young people has helped me open my mind and helped me feel like I can be myself. It’s helped me adapt and be the best I can to help the needs of the kids. Coming to work with EYST saved my academic year. I had no motivation before and now I love what I’m doing. I can’t wait for my workdays to come back round.

What are my aspirations?

My aspirations are to work with minorities so we don’t get left behind. I also want to help BME students and young people with support and helping them feel like they can have a voice. I want to work with time to overcome language barriers to form the connections the young people need.

Lastly:

I’d like to say how much joy this placement brings me. I love doing what I’m doing and I hope I can continue for a long time. I’d like to say how much I appreciate EYST for this opportunity as I feel happy doing this.